Originally posted on Utah Indivisible. To see the original post, click here.

The Affordable Care Act (ObamaCare, ACA) positively affects the medical coverage of millions of Utahns, with 145,000 people signing up through the Healthcare Exchange for the 2017 year alone – an increase of 24% from 2016. (Source: Salt Lake Tribune, Dec. 2016)

Whether we benefit from protections such as the abolishment of annual or lifetime caps, guaranteed preventative healthcare services, medicaid expansion, premium assistance for lower income individuals and families, guaranteed non financially discriminatory coverage for chronically ill individuals, or access to a public, multi-option insurance market place, we all utilize the services and protections this law provides even if we do not receive coverage from the public exchange.

Taking into special consideration, our state is 4th in the nation for deaths caused by overdose (ABC4 Utah, 2017) and 7th in the nation for drug poisoning deaths (health.utah.gov, 2017) we cannot lose the substance abuse coverage mandate included in the ACA, as it would be detrimental, even life ending for our most vulnerable community members. However the newly proposed American Health Care Act goes as far to eliminate the mandate for coverage of substance abuse and mental health treatments all together.

From Health.Utah.gov

“Every month in Utah, 23 individuals die from prescription drug overdoses. Utah ranked 7th in the U.S. for drug poisoning deaths from 2013-2015, which have outpaced deaths due to firearms, falls, and motor vehicle crashes. The majority (55%) of deaths from prescription pain medications involved oxycodone..”

We are asking our Federal Representatives on all levels, in all districts to leave the Affordable Care Act intact and to not “Repeal and Replace.” with the subpar, potentially deadly and ultimately harmful American Health Care Act.

Improvements can be made to the Affordable Care Act that benefit all entities and people involved (Patients, Medical Providers, Insurance Companies, State Governments etc) without the dismantling of a law that has created a system responsible for effectively protecting all Utahns, especially our most vulnerable community members, the disable, the elderly, working class, addicted, and mentally ill.